There are 4 sub-species of gorilla. They all live in West and Central Africa and they are all officially 'critically endangered'

1. Mountain GorillasOne of the most endangered animals on earth, there are currently just 1004 of these incredible primates left in the wild.

2. Eastern Lowland GorillasThere are an estimated 3,800 of these slightly less hairy gorillas, which doesn't mean they are any less important. When you realise that there were around 17,000 only ten years ago you can understand just how threatened they are.

3. Western Lowland Gorillas.These gorillas were thought to be relatively safe because they live in huge dense forests, which are pretty hard to get to. But that was before people started building roads through the forests and a nasty ebola virus killed thousands of them in just a few months. 60% of these gorillas have been wiped out in less than 30 years.

4. Cross-River gorillas.Rarely seen, even more rarely photographed, these are some of the most elusive and threatened creatures on the planet - there may be as few as 250 left in the world.

The Gorilla Organization is working to protect every type of gorilla sub-species and we need your help.

Founded at the request of Dr Dian Fossey as the Digit Fund in 1989, the Gorilla Organization works internationally to save the world's last remaining gorillas from extinction. We do this by funding grass-roots projects run by local African partners aimed at tackling the very real threats to the gorillas' long term survival.

The threatsFor the poor communities around the gorilla habitat, it is the forest that provides them with many of their daily needs. But sadly, the collection of basic resources such as water and firewood is destroying the gorilla habitat and, in turn, the gorillas.

How we helpThe Gorilla Organization works with African NGOs to help local populations get everything they need from outside the forest.

Isabelle Ngwenda is one such person. She lives in Rwanda right on the border of a National Park. Money raised by Great Gorilla runners means that we were able to show her how to grow giant crops to feed her family so she no longer has to collect food from the forest.

And Alphonsine - we showed her how to make her own firewood saving stove that uses 80% less wood than her old stove, so more trees stay in the forest for the gorillas.

Then there are the school children from Gitaraga Primary school with their new water cistern. They used to spend the first half of their day collecting water from the gorillas' forest, but now they just turn on the tap and have more time for learning.

We need you!The Gorilla Organization relies on the sponsorship and support from people like you. So be one of the extraordinary people that helps us save an incredible species in amazing ways all around the world, so that the world will always have great gorillas.